Encore
by icyboots
Summary: Is it normal for him to follow the instructions of a voice he only heard in his dreams? Is it normal that he saves the Planet as a result? And most importantly, is it normal for him to become attracted to said voice? Time Travel AU. CxS.
1. Chapter 1

So yeah, another Time Travel fic; the concept fascinated me and I couldn't help but to try it out and see how my own take would fare out. It's not going to be an epic or that long really (because I can't seem to write long-fics for some reason).

* * *

**Encore**

_Prologue_** -** Seeds of Doubt

* * *

The cold was familiar but never comforting. The coldness and loneliness of the labs were all he knew and he had no reason to yearn for anything more, to question or complain about something he never had.

_Just like Mother._

In his dreams, a beautiful lady in silver embraced him, whispering sweet nothings into his ear and stroking his hair lovingly.

_"I love you, my son."_

Even though her embraces left him hollow, her whispers made him wince in pain, and her delicate hands felt like claws, Sephiroth never complained. It was the only thing he could look forward to; having a mother for him _somewhere_, caring for him alone and distracting him from the pains of the experiments he had to endure.

**_"But would a mother hurt her child?"_**

Sephiroth quickly pulled away from his mother's embrace, looking around for the source of the new voice. When he found none, though, he grew confused; he was so sure he heard someone.

"Is something wrong, son?" Sephiroth looked up at his mother, her concerned face only giving him the feeling that he was losing a part of himself.

He shook his head, shrugging the whole thing off. "It's nothing, Mother."

Yet no matter how much he tried, he couldn't get that question out of his head.

* * *

**_"Would a mother's presence make you feel lost?"_**

As much as he was curious about the new voice in the beginning, he found that he didn't like hearing it at all.

With every dream came a question, and what was once a source of comfort - an escape from his regular life - was now a source of unbearable dread. Slowly but surely, he was changing; he couldn't return his mother's embraces, couldn't reply whenever she said that she loved him, couldn't even look at her!

It was all that voice's fault; making him confused, making him _question_ his uneasiness.

Instead of going for Mother, he decided to find who was speaking and chase him - he was sure that voice belonged to a man - off his dreams. The next thing he knew, though, he was on the verge of waking up, and he didn't even speak a word to his mother.

**_"How do you feel?"_**

"Angry!" He couldn't believe that he fell for that; he thought himself above falling for such obvious schemes.

He swore he could hear the owner of the voice chuckle. **_"Good."_**

Before he could reply, he found himself wide awake, his anger evaporating when he realized that for the first time in years, he didn't wake up feeling empty.

* * *

**_"I had a mother once; she was always so tired and overworked, trying her hardest to provide for me on her own. She felt warm, made me feel comfortable, made me like I belong even if it were for few moments."_**

**_"Look at her now and tell me what you feel."_**

Sephiroth quietly watched his mother from afar, the sight of her making his gut twist. He wasn't sure if it was a nightmare he was having, but his mother looked... different. Something about her felt off and he found that he didn't want to approach her at any cost.

Still, she was the only mother he knew...

His expression must've told about what he felt; because a hand softly patted on his head, a gesture so comforting he didn't even ask why he didn't see anyone next to him. **_"I'm sorry."_**

"She wasn't my mother anyway," he replied as he bitterly watched her fade away.

* * *

He didn't dream about his mother anymore, and he didn't hear much from the voice in other dreams either - only exchanging few words before he had to wake up.

Sephiroth was surprised to find that he missed him a little.

After rising in ranks in ShinRa and SOLDIER and going through a war, he finally got the chance to have a proper conversation with him.

He was floating in Mako green and nothing but, a strange setting for a dream, he mused. He curiously took in his surroundings, wondering what was going to pop up any minute now.

_**"It's been a while."**_ It was the same voice from years ago, the same quiet, soft tone he suddenly found himself nostalgic towards. "**_I know that you're confused about this place, but I'll have to explain some other time; I have more important things to tell you."_**

"Like what?" Sephiroth raised an eyebrow; the serious edge in the other's voice certainly got his attention.

**_"You're going to save the Planet,"_** he answered simply.

Sephiroth, the Demon of Wutai, ShinRa's First Class SOLDIER, merely blinked.

"What?"


	2. Chapter 2

Just a fair warning: my updates tend to be atrociously short. I'm trying to fix that with time so bear with me.

* * *

**Encore**

_Chapter One_** -** Enlightenment

* * *

Sephiroth woke up feeling conflicted, disoriented and taking quite a while to realize that he was back in his bedroom. As he prepared himself for a new day, he thought about his dream and what it meant, unsure which course of action he'd take.

On one hand, there was the fact that it was a mere _voice_ that told him to save the Planet, a voice he first heard when he was only a child. He read about children making up imaginary friends to cope with their loneliness or sorrow - perhaps he was an extended case.

On the other hand, though, there was the matter of the images he was shown of a dying Planet, of cities and towns and villages empty of people and life itself, of lands barren to the core...

The thought that this was the Planet's fate in the future was rather unsettling.

_But why me of all people? What's my relation to all of this?_

As he did his daily duties, his mind turning many questions left and right, he felt even more conflicted and wary.

* * *

He had the same dream for the rest of the week, every question going back to the matter of saving the Planet. If the voice was a manifestation of a part of his mind, he was incredibly persistent and patient, so much that Sephiroth was beginning to doubt.

"Let's say that what you said was right, let's say that the Planet is going to die few hundred years from now - why do you think I should be the one to save it?"

**_"Because everyone's actions in this time-period will have the most effect in the future, and you're the most suitable one for it."_**

Sephiroth couldn't help but snort. "I'm not a hero."

**_"I don't expect you to be."_**

He wasn't one to get caught off-guard easily, but he undeniably was at that moment; whatever response he expected hadn't been this.

_Who are you?_

Sometimes he had the brief thought that the voice in his dreams was familiar, as if its owner knew him outside of his dreams and mind and understood him in a way that no one did. It was impossible, of course; he would've recognized him if he met him.

Still, his knowing response intrigued him.

"What do you want from me?"

And like all the previous dreams, the voice had only one clear but vague answer.

**_"I want you to save the Planet."_**

* * *

It took him another three days to accept - to humor the voice or to satisfy his curiosity, he couldn't decide. All that mattered was that this whole thing was occupying his mind all the time and people around him were starting to notice.

"What do I need to do?"

The voice remained silent for a moment; either surprised about his agreement or thinking about what to say. **_"If I could put the blame for the Planet's fall on anything, I would put it on ShinRa."_**

Sephiroth wasn't really that shocked. "So you want me to destroy ShinRa, I take it."

**_"No..."_** He knew that there was a 'not yet' unsaid. **_"I want you to find Hollander's files about Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos regarding _****_Project-G_**."

His eyes narrowed, his tone tight and clipped and he asked, "And _why_ is that?"

**__****_"With its endless greed, _**ShinRa had ruined many lives including theirs. **_Project-G is one of many of ShinRa's wrongdoings and t_**hey shouldn't be kept in the dark about it."

Even if the voice was something he made up, there was no way he'd ignore this - especially when he knew that ShinRa wasn't above doing immoral deeds for its benefit. "You do know that if you informed me of this earlier, I would've been more inclined to help you, right?"

**_"I wanted you to agree on the whole deal not just a part of it,"_** the voice reasoned.

_Clever. _It was somewhat cruel, yes, but the fact that he'd do the same if their roles were switched, that whatever plan the voice had started with investigating the cases of his comrades soothed his anger.

He was finding it harder to deny that the voice's owner was his own person.

"I'll see what I can find."

And with that, he woke up.

* * *

Hacking wasn't a specialty that he was interested in, but that didn't mean he wasn't quite good at it. The mere fact that he was taking rather long to get to Hollander's files spoke of how important and secured they were, and the many firewalls and pass-codes got him concerned.

"[Access Denied]."

Hollander was hiding something, something that even the highest-ranked officers couldn't reach.

For a moment, he feared what he'd find. That moment passed, though, as he thought of what would happen if he _didn't_ find out.

* * *

Sephiroth long since accustomed to the green surroundings of his dreams. In fact, he could even say that he felt more relaxed here than the other hellish landscapes his mind _graciously_ supplied. The voice told him that this place saved him energy when he spoke to him - what kind of energy? Sephiroth didn't know, but he'd find out eventually.

**_"How's your search going?"_**

"I'm making progress." If it weren't for the mission he suddenly got assigned to two days ago, he would've successfully reached the files by now. "I'll be sure to be done with it soon."

**_"I don't doubt it; even death won't stop you from achieving your objectives."_** That response got his full attention.

"Speaking from experience?" The voice never talked about his nature - about knowing him before or not - so Sephiroth took every slip he made for all it worth and tried to conclude something from it, asking subtle questions to see what his reaction would be.

Like every time, the voice didn't answer.

With a sigh, Sephiroth let the matter go for now; he had more important things to think of and worry about.

But he wouldn't let go for long; not when the voice was a rather _fascinating_ mystery to solve.

* * *

"[Access Granted]."

Finally, after cracking many codes and firewalls, he reached to the files he was looking for. Copying them into his hard-drive, he quickly erased every trace of him ever hacking into the Science Department, and then, with a growing sense of dread, proceeded to read them.

___"With its endless greed, _ShinRa had ruined many lives including theirs. _Project-G is one of many of ShinRa's wrongdoings and t_hey shouldn't be kept in the dark about it."

He didn't expect for the reality to be this way; in the worst-case scenario, he thought that Angeal and Genesis were targets for experimentation - not this. _Never this._

But no matter how much he didn't want it to be true, the fact was that his two trusted comrades, companions - maybe even _friends_ - were projects and victims of ShinRa in one way or the other. And if he didn't intervene now, he had the feeling that their future was going to be bleak.


	3. Chapter 3

Many thanks to those who faved and followed. I sure hope this to be up to your expectations.

* * *

**Encore**

_Chapter Two_** - **Rejecting & Accepting

* * *

Despite the fact that the files were incomplete and patchy at best - he did try his hardest to restore them, after all - it was easy to figure it out: Genesis and indirectly, Angeal, were results of experiments done with some type of cells, and they were totally oblivious to that fact thanks to the project's failure and ShinRa's cover-up.

The voice did tell him to inform the two about the secrets of their past, but Sephiroth was sure there was more to it than that.

"If things continued the way they are now, what will happen?"

**_"They'll degrade,"_** the voice answered with a heavy sigh, **_"in short, their bodies will weaken and age in an accelerated rate and their emotional control will lessen. There's also a high risk of mutation and death."_**

He clinched his fists and willed his voice to be as neutral as possible. "Do you know what will cure this?" Why else bother telling him about this if he couldn't prevent it? It wouldn't have made sense.

As if reading his thoughts - which was a possibility since he was in a dream - the voice assured him, **_"I do, otherwise I wouldn't have told you."_**

Even though he knew the answer wouldn't please him, Sephiroth couldn't help but ask, "In the future... what happened to to them.?

There was silence at first, but after moments that felt like hours, the voice spoke again, **_"I can show you."_**

Without missing a beat, he nodded in acceptance. "Do it, then."

And then he saw them, many images and scenes of Genesis destroying everything in his quest to find a cure and losing himself along the way, of Angeal closing on himself and pushing others away as he suffered, of both of them succumbing to the idea that they were monsters in the end.

He couldn't imagine Genesis and Angeal, the two strongest people he knew, to have this happen to them, to fall that way. He couldn't imagine them, as selfish as it sounded, leaving him all alone after years of companionship.

"Will they listen to me, I wonder..."

_**"Most of what happened to them is because everyone lied to them, so just be honest and they'll come around eventually. Even if the truth hurts, a lie is much more damaging."**_

Despite the grim subject, Sephiroth let out a small chuckle. "You're rather wise for a mere voice."

**_"Comes with living for centuries."_**

He could've asked about what he meant by that, but he could feel himself starting to wake up, the thought of what he'd do the moment he opened his eyes filling him with anxiousness.

The voice was right; even if they didn't like the truth at first, it was far better than living in a lie, and he'd be damned if he allowed a repeat of that doomed future.

**_"Hey."_**

He looked up, a habit he developed whenever he was speaking with the voice - in an effort to locate exactly where its owner was but to no avail.

**_"Good luck."_**

Before he could reply or express his thanks with a small smile, he woke up.

* * *

The higher ranked you were in ShinRa, the more you were watched. It was something he learned to get used to, being observed and watched all the time - and sometimes, when he really needed to be alone, he learned where all the blind spots were and how to access them.

Silently, he waited for Angeal and Genesis to arrive, anticipating yet fearful of how their reactions would be about the files he sent them. Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching him, he looked up to see that both of them were finally here.

They kept being quiet, refusing to glance his way. Knowing them, he knew that Genesis did it out of anger while Angeal did it out of shame.

"What," Genesis started, eyes flashing and teeth gritted, "what gave you the_ right_ to search into this? What gave you the right to inform us?"

"You could die," Sephiroth replied, utterly blunt. He wouldn't pretend to understand the level of betrayal the other two felt, and he wouldn't understand their pain upon finding out the truth.

But he didn't regret telling them, not when he knew the consequences.

Genesis laughed, cold and bitter. "Always the hero, right Sephiroth? I shouldn't even be surprised."

"I'm not a hero and I don't expect to be one," he countered, "I..."

"You _what_?" Genesis asked impatiently.

Sephiroth was always the stoic one, the one who didn't complain or express his feelings and preferred to hide them. He wondered if it was his fault that none of the two trusted him enough to tell him about their troubles in that future; maybe if he showed his appreciation to their company, they wouldn't have turned their backs on him. It was useless to think that; what happened happened and nothing could change it, but still, perhaps he could try to change that aspect of him this time around.

"I don't want to lose you."

The angry look slowly faded from Genesis's eyes and was replaced by a conflicted and doubtful one. And with one final glance, he turned on his heel and simply left without a word. Angeal, who had been silent the entire time, looked as if he wanted to say something but chose against it, deciding to leave too.

Left alone, Sephiroth sighed, unsure whether to feel frustrated about them not deciding if they wanted to find the cure, or worried because there was a chance that they wouldn't accept his help.

Unfortunately, though, he had to wait to see the outcome.

The wait never been more painful.

* * *

With a loud cry, Angeal cut the monster stimulation with more force than the necessary, continuing to push the VR room to beyond its limit.

He didn't want to think about the happenings of the last two days; every time he thought about what Sephiroth had informed them of, he felt ashamed and disgusted with Hollander, ShinRa, his mother and even _himself_.

All his life, he'd been taught to live honorably, to fight honorably and be honorable no matter what hardships he faced.

_Where's the honor in playing with lives?_

At that meeting, he stayed quiet as Sephiroth confirmed what he sent them, wishing with all he had that it was a mere nightmare or a bad joke.

It wasn't.

Unreasonable self-loathing ate at his core and he wondered if Sephiroth still saw him as himself, if Genesis was still willing to call him a friend.

He wouldn't blame them if they didn't.

* * *

Betrayal tasted bitter, cold and dry, Genesis mused, looking at the many lights of Midgar from his window.

It seemed that every person who was involved with his life somehow damaged him, and he was finding it increasingly logical to be angry with the world. From his biological family to his adopted - the fact that he was adopted as a mere cover-up made him feel ill - he was betrayed in many different ways.

What made him livid - so incredibly livid - was that it was _Sephiroth_, the one he wanted so much to beat, who looked for the truth, who revealed it. It was Sephiroth who revealed that no matter what he accomplished, he was still deemed a failure from birth.

He couldn't care anymore. He was a lost cause, not someone worth sparing, saving.

If he was going to degrade and die a background character's death, then so be it.

* * *

They started feeling odd, as if something was not right in their bodies. Then they started having nightmares that they forgot when they woke up, but were effective enough to rob them the sleep.

Not to mention the tiredness; the unexplained, unprovoked tiredness that seemed to never go away.

It was then that they started doubting, now beginning to face the reality of what they were refusing to prevent - small signs that, if they weren't told about the project, wouldn't have been noticed.

Sephiroth's obvious worry and distraught whenever he crossed paths with them only made them more doubting, more conflicted and guilty. He was trying to help them, after all. He took the effort to look for the files and then connect them together. And out all of the people in this ordeal, he was the only one who told them the truth, who didn't twist or manipulate it despite how negative their reaction was.

Maybe, just maybe, they should accept his offer for a cure; it would be a waste to just die without resolving the many issues the discovery of the project had caused, to die without confronting the ones responsible, to die without living their lives and dreams to the fullest.

So tentative and hesitant, they approached Sephiroth.

"If this cure of yours didn't work..."

"Then we will find another one," Sephiroth completed, sounding so assured that they couldn't help but to feel hopeful.

Genesis and Angeal looked at each other and then at him before nodding. "Alright, we agree."

The sheer relief evident in Sephiroth's eyes made them think that they did the right thing by agreeing.


	4. Chapter 4

Finally, we're going places.

* * *

**Encore**

_Chapter Three_** - **Glimpses

* * *

The slums were as people told they were or maybe even worse, and the stark difference between the life above the plates and life below made Sephiroth wonder if he somehow went to another city. He took in his surroundings, his curiosity flaring at all the various activities happening all at once. No one glanced at their way despite the outlandish nature of the disguises Genesis picked for him and Angeal - and if anyone did recognize them, they were either afraid to approach or simply didn't care.

"I very much doubt that we will find the cure here," Genesis said, his face twisting in reaction to the overwhelming smell of tainted mako and unattended sewers.

Even Angeal looked skeptical. "Are you sure about this, Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth chose to ignore them at the moment, opting to focus on making sure that he got the address the voice told him about right, but the thought of the possibility that this wasn't where they were supposed to go lingered in his mind.

_It better be,_ he thought, eyes narrowed; after all the trouble he went through, he was going to be very displeased if it turned that the whole ordeal was pointless.

Dealing with the voice's constant need of assurance that no, he wouldn't tell any other person in ShinRa about this; that no, he wouldn't ever visit the place again unless he told him to was one thing.

Contacting the head of the Turks, Veld, and making a deal that consisted of not reporting their meeting with Aerith Gainsborough to anyone in exchange for vital information about AVALANCHE that included the whereabouts of his missing daughter was an entirely different matter. It was too risky and would take time, the voice informed him then; Veld wasn't going to agree until he made sure about his proclaims.

But in the end, after a worry-filled wait, everything turned out well and they were free to visit Ms. Gainsborough unreported for a day.

Finally reaching to their destination, Sephiroth inspected the building - that appeared to be a church - before looking at his companions. "Stay here and wait until I call you." Genesis looked about to protest at that but Angeal held him back, nodding in understanding; it wouldn't fare well to approach a civilian in any other way.

The moment Sephiroth entered the church, he felt an inexplicable sense of calmness overtaking him, and he knew that, despite the unsettling surroundings, he was at the right place.

There was a young woman - a teenage girl, he corrected - kneeling before a flower bed, and before he could clear his throat to get her attention, she suddenly stood up and turned to look at him, wariness and curiosity showing in her eyes.

"You're Ms. Gainsborough, correct?"

She nodded, answering hesitantly, "Yes..."

Now what? He remembered the conversation he had with the voice regarding this very situation, but it wasn't that useful:

**_"She doesn't trust ShinRa or strangers for the matter."_**

_"How can I gain her trust then?"_

_**"Just shake her hand."**_

_"Very helpful."_

**_"I try."_**

Deciding that standing there and waiting for her to approach on her own wouldn't do anything, he slowly walked towards her and offered his hand. "A... friend of mine told me that you could help." Could he call the voice a friend? He was with him for a long time - longer than the time he spent with Angeal and Genesis - even if they didn't talk much outside of doomed futures and saving the Planet.

Much to his surprise, that eased her wariness a bit, taking his hand and shaking it with a small smile. "Help you with what?"

Sephiroth was about to tell her about his purpose here when his hand suddenly glowed green. He tried to pull it back to inspect it properly, but Ms. Gainsborough didn't let go. Looking up at her, he saw that she appeared to be in some sort of a trance that only lasted a few short moments, coming back to her senses as the green glow faded.

But then she regarded him with a look so intense that he was sure it wasn't aimed at him but _past_ him, as if she was seeing someone else in his place. "Alright, I'll help you. Tell your friends to come in."

This was getting more and more bizarre. "How did you even know?"

The secretive smile she had was enough for him to conclude that he wasn't going to hear the answer any time soon, so he let the matter go and went to call the others.

* * *

When that tall, weirdly-dressed man entered the church, Aerith heard the Planet humming, whispers growing more and more excited with every step he took. She turned to look at him, wary of the reason why he was here but undoubtedly curious about the Planet's unusual reaction to him.

When she shook his hand, she realized the reason why.

Beautiful, bright green filled her vision as a voice greeted her warmly, and she found herself greeting back, feeling oddly calm and relaxed. "What do you want? Why am I here?" she asked curiously, knowing that there was an important reason as to why.

**_"Would you believe me if I said it's for saving the Planet?"_**

And then he told her about the Planet's future, how important this time-period was to determent it, what he knew about her and how she could help.

Aerith took it all in, for some unfathomable reason believing that every word was true despite the absurdity of his claims - even if she was very hesitant about revealing her heritage and powers to other people or to acknowledge them.

**_"You can refuse if you want. I don't want to force you to help."_**

The amount of understanding in his voice surprised her, and she couldn't help herself from asking, "Do you know me?"

He was the presence that the Planet was oh-so-joyful about and not that tall man, she was sure. But then what exactly was he? He wasn't dead, just another whisper within the Lifestream, but she felt that he wasn't exactly alive either.

He was just a voice, a strangely familiar and comforting voice.

**_"You can say that I'm an old friend."_**

Aerith smiled; because she knew somehow that it was true. "Then I'll help you."

She felt slightly giddy about the idea of showing her powers and not having to hide or deny, and if it would help everyone in the long run, then why not?

**_"Thank you, Aerith,"_** he said, his tone warm and sincere.

"You're welcome..." she swore she had a name at the tip of her tongue, buried in the far back of her mind, but no matter how much she tried, she couldn't remember it.

When she opened her eyes to familiar surroundings again, she concluded that only few moments had passed in the real world since she was still holding that tall stranger's hand. She told him to bring his friends in, enjoying the confused look on his face as he did as he was told.

When they all gathered in front of her - she noted that the weirdness of outfits was matched - she clasped her hands together and prayed, feeling as if someone was supporting and helping her.

* * *

It was raining.

They were under a plate, under a whole city and in a building no less, but it was raining.

Angeal was stunned into silence, Genesis spouted something about the miracles of Minerva and Sephiroth only stared confusedly at Aerith, wondering if he was imagining seeing the ghostly figure of a woman almost identical to her - only older and appearing more confident - praying along. When the woman looked up and grinned cheekily at him, he concluded that no, he wasn't imagining this and got even more confused; because why was he the only one who saw her?

The woman faded away as the rain stopped, and Aerith, looking drained and exhausted as she sat on the floor, asked, "How do you feel?"

Well, they were all completely drenched for one.

"I feel fine... refreshed." And then Angeal's eyes widened because he didn't feel fine for a while, and he never felt this refreshed and energetic in his life.

"Like a new born," Genesis declared, still marveling at the glowing rain-drops sliding down his trench-coat. "_She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting._"

And then all three were looking at Sephiroth expectantly. "This wasn't about me."

They shrugged, but they still looked at him.

Sephiroth sighed before he answered, "Light. I feel a bit light."

Angeal and Genesis thanked Aerith for her help, saying that they owed her one before they left, leaving her and Sephiroth alone. He was about to follow their lead when Aerith called him out, "You have a presence within you, you know that?"

_So I'm not the only one..._ "You spoke with him? What did he say?" He was curious about what the voice could've said her to convince her to help; she didn't look like she was going to at first, after all.

"He told me about your friends' illness and the Planet's future, but I feel that there's more that he didn't tell me," she answered, frowning.

"He seemed to know you." In a sense that had no relation to being from the future, but from personal familiarity now that he thought about it; the concern the voice showed regarding her was a clear evidence of that.

"I didn't meet him before today, but he said that he was an old friend, I _felt_ that he was a friend." Interesting. Did that mean that the voice lived in this time-period? If so, then why did he need him to save the Planet when he was somewhere out there?

"If you meet him, physically I mean, will you tell me?" Sephiroth couldn't help but be amused at how much the young girl wanted to solve the puzzle of the voice's existence, too. It was too intriguing to let go, he knew from experience.

"Fair enough, I will if you do the same." She was an important link to figure this out, and it would be good to have her as an ally.

"Alright then, we have a deal!" It was somewhat relieving how she seemed more at ease as she bid him goodbye, her grin resembling the ghostly woman's. _Perhaps that's her future self._ He wouldn't really be surprised if that was true; stranger things happened to him these days.

* * *

"We can't keep working for ShinRa now that we know what they've done," Angeal said, breaking the silence.

Sephiroth frowned; while he could see his point, there were many things he had to do before defecting. "I think we should stay for a while and keep observing. It would be too reckless to make a move now."

"_And_," Genesis started, breaking into a devious smirk, "we can ruin them from the inside. Poetic justice, don't you think?"

Trust Genesis to give defection a dramatic flare. "I agree, that way we can gather more information and leave when we're ready while having the advantage."

With that, he continued walking towards the headquarters, only to stop when he didn't hear the sound of other footsteps following. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Angeal shook his head, "it's just... thank you, Sephiroth, for doing this for us."

Genesis merely nodded, but then sighed once Angeal glared at him. "_There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the goddess, Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds._"

Sephiroth was completely speechless for a moment.

That was the nicest thing Genesis ever bothered to say to him, and it rather disturbed him to say the least.

Still, he nodded, smiling for just a brief moment before he said, "I'm not the one you're supposed to thank."


	5. Chapter 5

I still can't believe how many of you faved and followed this... _Thank you._

* * *

**Encore**

_Chapter Four_** - **Lost and Found

* * *

For how little he'd done, things developed massively in such a short amount of time.

Angeal and Genesis, wary yet determined to confront their parents, headed to Banora immediately after the visit to the slums. It was there that they learned the extent of their parents' involvement in Project-G, and that they were all regretful and ashamed of it. They also learned from Angeal's mother that the threat of degradation was, in fact, rather serious, but it was somehow stopped in its tracks. Upon being asked about what they'd done to stop it, Angeal and Genesis both stayed quiet.

Never having parents himself - not ones he considered as such, anyway - Sephiroth didn't pretend to understand what they felt, but he knew judging from the somber expression they had when they returned that it would take a long time for their parents to regain their trust, if not ever.

Then again, they weren't convinced that they were monsters anymore, so he was at least glad about that. And as all three of them planned on ways they could ruin ShinRa from the inside with - from the war in Wutai to VR rooms to funding - Sephiroth felt that they grew closer to him, including him. He knew that they were his companions, but the history and childhood the two of them shared often made him feel like an outsider, only observing from the sidelines.

Now he didn't, and he had to admit it felt nice.

On a grander scale, his deal with Veld had resulted in the latter reuniting with his daughter, who then turned out to be AVALANCHE's leader. With her absence and the information he provided, AVALANCHE soon wouldn't stand a chance. Veld had asked him about his 'informant' and made an offer for him to join their ranks. Sephiroth made his answers and promises vague and uncertain, not wanting to confirm but also not wanting to deny just in case the Turks became too curious.

He didn't know what curing his comrades and removing AVALANCHE from the picture had to do with saving the Planet, but he nonetheless wanted to tell the voice about the new developments and also to deliver Angeal and Genesis's thanks. Maybe, just maybe, he would even have some of his many questions answered.

The problem was, the voice wasn't there.

* * *

The thing that angered Sephiroth the most was that it was so sudden; one day the voice was there giving unhelpful tips and being frustratingly vague and the other, he was gone. No last words of parting. No warning whatsoever.

He should've been relieved that he left, should've been satisfied with not having a voice ordering him around in a seemingly impossible task. But Sephiroth was a man of his word, so when he agreed to do the voice's bidding, he meant it - even if he didn't understand what he was changing and what he was affecting. It was his own choice, one of the few in his life.

This saving-the-Planet deal was like a mission, a mission that Sephiroth knew it was far from over. And that angered him even more, he knew that this wasn't over, that it couldn't be this easy, and he definitely _knew_ that the voice didn't expect his disappearance when the last thing he said implied that he was thinking of the next step:

_**"Based on what happens, we'll figure out what to do."**_

_We._ Because at one point during the past few weeks, this quest with its bizarre and major results became _their_ quest, a 1st class SOLDIER and the voice in his dreams. They both realized that and said nothing about it, content in how things were going.

So what changed? What made him leave?

His sullen mood was noticed by his peers, and he was impressed that Genesis left him alone for four whole days before he demanded to know the identity of the person who broke his heart. Annoyed by his assumptions, Sephiroth answered that his 'informant' was missing. Angeal then voiced his concerns about the possibility of him being held captive by ShinRa.

Sephiroth only sighed wistfully in response.

"If only things were that easy."

* * *

He first experienced the sense of loss when Professor Gast was reported missing - soon to be killed, he knew, judging from the glint in Hojo's eyes. He was the only person who bothered to treat him nicely - decently, like a human - sharing his knowledge and ideas and inquiring him about his own. His respect and admiration of Gast didn't waver, even with his defection from ShinRa. And though he knew it was pointless, he hoped he was fine wherever he was.

Now he felt the same way he did back then, lost and angry and undeniably... sad. The voice was a constant presence in his life, always in the background but nonetheless _there_.

It was almost funny that only now he noticed how big the gap the voice made with his absence was, how he recalled every conversation he had with him no matter how short and trivial it seemed, how the same conversations made so much sense in today's context...

* * *

**_"That's a rather grim landscape you conjured up there."_**

Sephiroth didn't look away from the gloomy grey sky. "It fits with the mood."

**_"Hmm, I guess it does."_** There was a pause, and then the expected question, **_"what happened?"_**

He would never get used to how easy it was to talk to this voice. "I cleared seventeen out of twenty levels in the battle simulation on my first try."

_**"And?"**_

Didn't he understand? "I failed to complete them."

**_"Seventeen is nice, though, especially on your first try."_**

"Seventeen isn't _perfect_."

And then he felt fingers _flicking_ his forehead.

**_"You're human, you're not expected to be perfect."_**

* * *

He was eleven at the time, already being prepared to be deployed. He remembered being so offended that he didn't register the voice's words fully, but now he did and realized how strangely _comforting_ they were.

The memory only seemed to deepen and fuel the growing sense of loss he was experiencing, and even though he wanted to find the voice again and scold him for his incompetence in completing his task, he knew that he couldn't.

* * *

It was three months later that he dreamed of achingly-familiar green, and the sheer relief that consumed him upon taking in his surroundings was rather embarrassing.

_**"Hey,"**_ the voice greeted simply, as if he hadn't been gone for _months_.

"_Where_ were you?" Sephiroth asked, not skipping a beat and then cringing at the amount of accusing his tone held; he didn't want the other to think his absence had affected him much.

**_"Uh... around?"_** the voice answered hesitantly, either surprised by the question or how Sephiroth asked it.

His brilliant answer didn't seem to satisfy Sephiroth, however, so he continued, **_"Sorry that I couldn't reach you; channeling takes a lot of energy."_**

"Channeling what?"

**_"It's more of a who, really."_**

Filing the info for later questioning, Sephiroth chose to address the more important issues. "Next time you decide to vanish from existence, give me a warning."

There was a moment of silence before he heard the voice speaking again, **_"I'll try, just so you wouldn't have to worry again."_**

Sephiroth didn't miss the obvious amusement lacing his reply, and before he could defensively say that no, he wasn't worried _at all_, the voice asked, **_"What happened while I was gone?"_**

That had successfully changed the subject, to which Sephiroth was grateful.

He told him about all the developments that had occurred, the major of them and the mundane. Some the voice was expectant about, like the weakening of AVALANCHE's forces and Angeal and Genesis's confrontation with their parents in Banora; some he was pleasantly surprised about, like the ongoing plan to ruin ShinRa from the inside; and some that got a rather...

"For some reason beyond me, Angeal has decided to take a protégé under his wing, a SOLDIER by the name of-"

**_"Zack Fair,"_** the voice continued, sounding certain of his answer yet oddly sorrowful.

... intriguing reaction out of him. It only added one more question to the pile that was getting more and more enormous with time.

He wanted to know why Ms. Gainsborough had the Turks watching her, how she could cure impossible mutations and how she was able to talk to the voice outside of his dreams. He wanted to know what he was changing. He wanted to ask about his own future, why a sense of complete dread overcame him every time he thought of asking about it. He wanted to know who the voice was and how he seemed to know him so well, what was his relation to all of them, to all of this.

So many _Why'_s and _How_'s and _What_'s, yet there was one question he didn't ask, adult or child - perhaps fearing the consequences of giving the voice a separate identity. A fear that was now illogical given how the voice proved that he was indeed his own person.

"What's your name?"

**_"... What?"_** The satisfaction of throwing the voice off his I-Know-Something-You-Don't pedestal was completely petty, but he savored it nonetheless.

"Your name, what is it?" Sephiroth repeated, a smug smirk tugging at his lips.

**_"Why?"_ **And now all his responses were in one word. Typical.

"I can't call you 'the voice' forever now, can I? And it's only fair to know the name of the person who's tasking me with saving the Planet."

Much to his complete surprise and then irritation, there was a choked laugh as the other asked, **_"You actually call me that?"_**

"What else do you want me to call you? You _are_ a voice, after all." There was no way he'd lose this, no way he'd let the voice turn the tables on him.

**_"I don't know, a made-up one? Anything but that."_**

"I don't want to make up a name for you, I want to know what your real name is." Compared to the other questions he had, this one really wasn't much.

But no, the voice - who didn't like being called that, apparently - chose to be difficult. "**_Well, make a name for me, a decent one that is, and I'm going to tell you."_**

"Are you serious?"

**_"Very."_**

Seeing that there was no way out and refusing to back down, Sephiroth sighed heavily before he said, "Green."

**_"Amazing,"_** was the complete dry, monotone response.

"It's decent." Not to mention that it was inspired from their surroundings.

**_"It's tragically unoriginal."_**

"Then tell me your far _superior_ name."

**_"Cloud."_**

It was Sephiroth's turn to become completely stunned. "What?"

**_"Cloud. My name is Cloud."_**

He had no reason to lie, so Sephiroth knew that what he was saying was true. Finally, he knew the name of the voice that took presence in his dreams for years, and in the wake of this discovery, Sephiroth felt... disappointed and maybe even irritated.

"You have absolutely _no right_ to complain about my naming choices."

* * *

Even though Sephiroth thought the name he picked was better - far, _far_ better - it felt good to know the true one, to have a piece of the puzzle solved. Besides, he thought the name suited him for some reason.

"Cloud. His name is Cloud," he mused aloud, still in utter disbelief and slowly breaking into a smile.

Genesis might've asked him about who graced his bed the previous night in reaction to the change in his mood, but Sephiroth didn't pay him any heed.


End file.
